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All programs disappeared from the Start Menu after installing updates from Windows Update

Question

Hi,
I just installed a bunch of updates using Windows Update, and all the programs have disappeared from my Start menu, and the applications that were installed as a service do not start.
It is a Windows XP Pro SP3.

I found the Sysstem restore tool in System32/Restore/rstrui.exe, restored to a known correct point in time, but it did not heal the PC.

It may be a hard task to fix. Try first unisnstall above udpates using Control Panel - add and remove software - select show updates and unistall them. You can also use
Microosft UtilityWindows Installer Clean up to remove unwanted updates.

In the mid time, try to create new user account and find out whether its experinced the same issue!

It may be malware or viruse infaction. Use Antiviruse sofware and one of the Malware removale such Spyware Search and Destoy. Clean up temp folders either I.E. and profile one.

Just refresh the icon cache by deleting the IconCache.db file from your profile directory (usually /Documents and Settings/Username/Local Settings/Application Data). It will be automatically recreated.

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